A Thousand Years of Love
by Mononoke-hime x sukai kurora
Summary: Reid visits Maeve's grave on the anniversary of her death, and unexpectedly meets a young woman named Ivy Sawyer who is also struggling to heal. Together their understanding of one another turns into love, but unknown to them, a serial killer has targeted them. Will Reid and Ivy be able to save each other...when in the past, both of them had failed?
1. Chapter One

_Chapter One_

It seemed almost impossible to believe that it had been exactly a year since Maeve had died. How had time passed? As Dr. Spencer Reid walked on the cool January day, it seemed to him that every brunette women who had passed him was the woman he had fallen in love with. But as he looked closer at the women from afar, there were subtle differences that only the young genius would realize; the hair on Maeve's head had been darker; her nose hadn't been as narrow; and her hands had been smaller. Even though the young genius had only meet Maeve face to face once, he remembered every detail of her face and the rest of her body. _It's the only thing I can hold onto besides the conversations we had. _

Reid wondered what would have happened if Maeve had survived the bullet that had killed her. Would she be married to him? Would they have children? These thoughts had not entered Reid's mind several months, but today he allowed himself to have such thoughts. _Today is the first anniversary of her death. _Sometimes Reid wondered if the memory of Maeve's death would always be as painful and scarring as it had been when it actually happened. Memories such as this caused him to curse his eidectic memory. His mind still remembered when his father had left him at ten with his mother; he remembered every moment of his torture at the hands of Tobias Hankle; Gideon's departure was fresh in his mind too; and Maeve's death had caused him to have a hole in his heart that had yet to heal.

Reid remembered the time when Hotch had taken the day off the year after his ex-wife had been murdered by Foyet. The leader of the team had suggested that Reid should take the day off today, just as he had done himself five years ago. Somehow Reid didn't like the idea. His mind was more unstable today than it had been this year so far, but he wasn't going to cause him to not come to work today. _I'm stronger than I was, _the young man told himself as the elevator reached its destination. _I can do this. _He was aware, however, that his team kept taking second glances at him when he walked passed. He heard the whispers around him as he sat at his desk, and looked back to see JJ hesitating slightly as she walked near him.

"Spence," JJ's strong voice was uncharacteristically shy. She was biting her lip when Reid's hazel eyes met hers. "Are sure you're okay today?"

"Yeah." Reid didn't miss the rasp in his voice when he spoke. He cleared his throat, but that caused his eyes to water slightly. _Maeve… _"I'm fine." He was aware of how his voice shook, and anger rushed through his head as another memory surfaced. _"I should have a wealth of knowledge I should be applying to this case, but right now I can't focus on anything more than four seconds at a time, and that makes me the dumbest person in the room. So, please help me. Help me find her." _Reid squeezed his eyes shut to make the memories go away, but they kept returning. His hands were tightly curled into fists.

"Reid." The young man opened his eyes and turned to find Morgan's strong hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

_You promised me that we would live happily ever after. You lied, Morgan! You lied to me._ Reid wanted so much to say these words out loud, but instead tears flowed from his eyes and a whimper escaped from his mouth.

Morgan's hand was steady as Reid continued to cry, and JJ softly moved her hand in small circles on his back. _I thought I was ready, but I wasn't, _the crying young man continued to think as his tears traveled down his cheeks. _I wasn't ready, and I'm still in the same amount of pain as before when she died. Why…am I so…weak? _Eventually the tears ceased, and Reid felt strangely calm after it was over. It felt as if the agony he had been carrying with him since this morning had been lifted from him.

"Reid, come in my office." Hotch had been watching the entire scene unfold it seemed. The leader of the team didn't allow emotions to emerge on his face, but now although his voice was the same, his eyes conveyed the sympathy he held for the youngest team member. As Reid sat in the chair across from Hotch, he allowed himself to observe his surroundings. Books were the first item he noticed; the titles hadn't changed in the nine years Hotch had taken office. Reid's hazel eyes wavered to the photo next to the books; a picture of a smiling Hotch with his son Jack, now eight, and his wife Beth and their infant daughter caused Reid to pause for a moment. _Hotch fell in love again. Could that happen to me as well?_

"Reid, you should take the day off today." Hotch was speaking quietly to him, almost tenderly. Reid looked for pity in his eyes out of habit but saw none. His thin hands intertwined, and he half expected Hotch to not hear his next words. "I didn't even want to wake up today," he whispered.

"It's okay. That happened to me too at one time." Reid looked up at Hotch in surprise. _Hotch didn't even want to wake up the year of Haley died? _Somehow that seemed unfathomable, but when Reid's hazel eyes met Hotch's brown ones, he knew that his boss was speaking the truth. "Take care of yourself," was the only advice Hotch gave him as he left Reid in his office.

* * *

Reid found himself staring forlornly at the grave of Maeve Donovan. It had been so long since he had last visited her. Dead flowers blew silently in the wind like live petals, and Reid swallowed the grief easing up in his throat. It had been him who had placed the flowers on her grave three months ago. He sighed deeply and kneeled down and brushed off the dust that covered her grave, tracing her name and the dates of her birth and death dates with his finger. Reid replaced the dead flowers with new ones that he had just bought, and kneeled down even farther so that some of the moisture from the wet grass soaked through his dark pants.

"I brought something to read to you, Maeve." Reid's voice echoed in the field of graves. No one was here today, mourning beside him. "Look." His eyes slightly watered as he stared at the only gift Maeve had given him. _The Narration of John Smith _was heavy in his hands. The young man opened the book and tried to read, but the emotions of loss and regret were too much for him to take. The book was closed before tears had the chance to ruin the pages, and Reid found himself holding the grave maker with his arms and sobbing onto the stone.

_I should have protected you. I should have told you I loved you instead of telling you a lie. I should have… _All was silent as Reid's tears flowed onto the grave of his beloved. His heart seeped with regret. _How could I have not saved her? I don't understand. _Slowly the insanity of grief ceased, and Reid was able to rise unsteadily on his feet. His swollen eyes darted around the landscape, grateful that his cries were no longer audible in the atmosphere. His eyes squinted from the sunlight and he saw something he had not noticed before in the times he had been there graced his eyes.


	2. Chapter Two

_Chapter Two_

Across from the cemetery was a white building. There were several windows, allowing Reid to see shelves of books inside. _A library, _he thought with wonder. The door was dark brown and had glass windows, causing Reid to infer that the library had originally been a different building from a different time period. For a moment the grief elapsed from him as Reid stared in wonder at the library. He saw that the paint on the building was new and there was a picture of a flower carved into the glass in the window. Reid continued to hold the book in his hand and had a sudden desire to visit the library. The grass squished under his boots.

Books covered every inch of the building; all the books Reid could see appeared new and alphabetized. There was a young adult section across from him, and he found a reading chair at the end at the section. Reid looked around and saw the beginning of an adult section towards the chair; he was about to move towards it when a voice interrupted him.

"Can I help you?"

A woman with strawberry blonde hair was at front of the desk. Her hair was ear length and curled at the tips. She had dark blue almond shaped eyes and was holding a book in her hand. _She looks almost done with the book, _Reid thought as the woman's fingers lingered at the top at the page. _Eight hundred thirty-one, _he thought as he read the page number. His thoughts returned to the present when the woman cleared her throat. Reid was surprised to find curiosity rather than annoyance in her eyes. _Her eyes are so blue they're almost as dark as her iris._

"Can I help you?" she asked again. This time Reid noticed that she spoke with an accent. _Australian, _Reid recognized. Although the genius wasn't able to speak many foreign languages, he had been able to recognize the origins of many accents from a young age. _Why is she so far away from home? _Reid thought briefly.

Reid shuffled his feet. Now that he had arrived in the library, he wasn't certain how to act next. "I…don't know." His voice was hesitant and nervous. Whenever he had entered a bookstore or a library previously, he had known what he wanted to read. "I came in here just to gather my thoughts, but now I don't know what to do." She was listening intently to his words, and her expression remained pensive as he continued to speak. "Normally I read anything informational, nonfiction or literature, and I don't read fiction. Today though…I feel that I need to read something different."

"Would you like to read some other classics?" Reid observed that her voice was quiet and soft; she didn't use much force in her voice.

"I've read all the classics," Reid said mildly. He glanced around the room to see if any book title looked appealing to him, but after a couple of moments, he came up with nothing. "My mother used to read me some science fiction novels when I was a boy, but I've never read fantasy." Reid remembered when he had read _The Lord of the Rings _trilogy as a child; he had spoken so much about the errors in the book regarding the many races in the three books that he had vowed to never read a fantasy book again. Now, however, the genre seemed to appeal to him again. "Do you have any good fantasy novels?" _I feel the need to forget what occurred today, and to disappear into another world. _Reid saw the woman smile as she closed the book in her hands and slightly blushed when her eyes met his. He was surprised when she handed him the book she had been handling previously.

"You'll like this book," she said. She looked like she was going to say more, but stopped when she saw Reid looking at the cover. The cover was blue and the sharp end of the knife was visible. _A Game of Thrones _was the title.

Reid glanced back at the owner of the book and said, "You're not quite finished with the book yet. Are certain you want me to have this?"

"I was on the last paragraph when you came in," she replied. "I've read this book some many times that I can recite the last sentence. _"The other two pulled away from her breasts and added their voices to the call, translucent wings unfolding and stirring the air, and for the first time in a hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons."_ She smiled at him again, and this time Reid smiled back. _Someone else besides me has an eidectic memory, _he thought. Reid thanked her, and she nodded and said goodbye to him when he closed the door.

* * *

Reid was kneeling in front of Maeve's grave again, and it was the first time that he didn't feel sadness as he stared at her marker. He felt…different. As he looked inside the book, he realized that the librarian had given him her own copy, for her name was written in neat script above various dates. _Ivy Sawyer, _Reid thought, _that's a nice name. _He opened the book to the first page and said, "I brought something to read to you, Maeve." This time his voice didn't tremble. It was clear and strong. "Look." Reid started reading the first chapter to her, and didn't stop until the sun went down.


	3. Chapter Three

I'm sorry if this chapter appears uninteresting and nothing happens in it, but I just wanted to give Morgan a chance to know about Ivy and some funny Reid moments. The main characters (Reid and Ivy) will appear and narrate the next two chapters, and they'll interact more.

* * *

_Chapter Three_

The clouds were marring the view of the sunlight from the window, thereby interrupting Reid's reading time, but the young genius was not disturbed. His hazel eyes were rapidly scanning the pages of the small book he was holding, oblivious to all else. The BAU team noticed this, but made nothing of it since Reid had finished his paperwork in record time. Although grateful that their friend and family member was no longer the lost and distraught man he had been yesterday, Morgan and Blake were staring enviously at Reid's neatly stacked and finished paperwork. The youngest of the team had immediately indulged himself in the book that had apparently rescued him from his grief once the paperwork was done; when Reid appeared at work this morning, his eyes were no longer haunted and his personality had revered back to his normal self; spouting out facts that no one would remember and somewhat shy and socially awkward. Morgan lifted his head from his own unfinished paperwork and stared at the title that Reid had in his thin hands. _A Game of Thrones, _Morgan thought. He sighed and walked toward the young genius, giving up on his paperwork for a moment.

"Hey, pretty boy." Reid looked up after a moment at the sound of his nickname. Morgan was beside his chair, glancing curiously at the title. "Is that another science fiction novel that you read when you were four and I was still riding a tricycle at that age?"

"No," Reid said quietly. He seemed lost in thought, almost as if he was still thinking about the book he had in his hands. "I've actually only started reading this book again, and it's an epic fantasy novel."

"An epic fantasy novel?" Morgan repeated. He heard laughter behind him, and saw that it was Blake who had laughed. _It's not my fault I don't like to read._

"Epic fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy, which is where the characters inhabit a different world from our own, or have an epic plot, setting or theme compared to other lower fantasy books," Reid explained. Morgan nodded, not understanding a word the kid said, but happy that the kid was rambling facts again. "This book is actually the first of seven novels in the series of _A Song of Ice and Fire _by George R. R. Martin, which were published between the years of –"

"I thought you didn't read fantasy," Morgan interrupted. In all the years he had known Reid, he hadn't been a big fantasy reader. _I remember asking him why, and he told me the story with unnecessary explained details. _

"I just…" Reid struggled for a moment, emotional pain entering his eyes again. He licked his lips and sighed through his teeth. "I needed to do something I haven't done before, and reading an epic fantasy novel was one of them." More quietly he added, "I needed to go into a different world than this one." Morgan said nothing but understood. Reid's sobs echoed in his mind.

"I thought I wouldn't like this series, but I did. Maybe it's because this story focus more on the political aspects and the history of the fictional world. Did you know that this series was inspired by the War of the Roses, which was from between 1455 and 1485?" Reid didn't give Morgan time to answer. "There were two royal thrones that were supported for the throne of England, which is actually quite similar to –"

"Okay, enough with the history lesson, Dr. Reid," Morgan teased. "How did you find this book anyway? Maeve's buried in rural Virginia, and I don't see any small bookstores carrying a title like this." Immediately after he said those words, Morgan knew that had been the wrong thing to say. Reid's open expression became withdrawn, and his eyes had that haunted look to them again. As the larger man began to clumsily apologize, Reid began to speak again after a couple of moments. His voice was so quiet Morgan had to stop talking and start listening as his friend started to repeat what he had said before.

"I actually didn't buy the book," Reid said slowly. His eyes were downcast and didn't allow Morgan to see his face. His thin hands were still. "I didn't even check the book out; it was given to me after a recommendation." Reid's thin hands started to stroke the books cover, almost like a caress someone would give a lover, Morgan thought. "The librarian gave it to me, even though the book was her own; she said I would like it."

"She gave you her own book?" Morgan repeated. _That's a hell of a lot of trust to someone who just came in your library._

"Yeah." Reid thinly smiled. "I saw when I opened the book that she wrote the dates when she read the book. She read it eight times." Then the younger man murmured something under his breath, and was silent for a moment. "I was surprised when she recited the last paragraph of the book, and after that…she told me something before I left."

"What was it?" Morgan prompted. A thin film appeared over Reid's eyes, and it looked like he was about to cry.

"She said...she told me this. _"'The past remains the past. We can learn from it, but we cannot change it.'" _It was almost as if she knew what I was thinking of as I came into the library. It was as if she knew what I was going through." Reid's hands became still again, and he set the book down in front of him. He stopped talking and instead looked at something that only he could see, lost within his own thoughts.

Morgan took this time to scan the book, knowing that his younger friend was thinking about Maeve. _Soon after I asked him if he was okay from the hellish two weeks, he replied with a quote from Helen Keller. I can't remember what it was._ Morgan scanned the dates on the book, and the girl who had given this book to Reid, she had read it seven times. He frowned.

"I thought you said that the librarian had read the book eight times, Reid."

"She was on the last page when she gave it to me," was Reid's quiet reply. He smiled, but the smile didn't reach his face.

Morgan was impressed by the penmanship of the script. Every loop was small and measured and neat. As a kid, he had watched his sister practice her script, and even as an adult, hers wasn't as neat as Ivy Sawyer's. Morgan scanned the name with a profiler's eye, noticing that the girl hadn't been stressed or upset when she had written her name; she had been calm.

"So…you said that there's seven books, right? I guess this means you're going to see the girl again when you get the second and third book, presuming they're there?"

Reid nodded, and this time it appeared that the smile reached his eyes.


	4. Chapter Four

_Chapter Four_

Reid wasn't entirely certain why he was standing frozen in front of the library. He clutched the book in his thin hands, not yet noticing that he was gripping the book far too tightly. _Why am I so nervous? _The young genius had asked himself the same question many times since driving to the rural library, but so far, he hadn't been able to answer that simple question. His hazel eyes glanced back towards the cemetery; the last time he had been here, he had visited Maeve. Lingering guilt from moments before caused Reid to pause from opening the library's door. For the first time since her death, Reid hadn't felt the need to visit her grave. Nor did he want to. _Is that a bad thing? _He left the answer hanging as he opened the library's door. Again as before, the sudden peacefulness from the place enveloped him, warming his frail body. He thought of the times when he was a child; sometimes when his mother was having one of her episodes, he would come into the local library and read for two hours or more. Books were a haven for him, as they always had been, especially during the times Reid ached for Maeve after her death.

The sudden thought of his lost love made Reid peaceful mood turn somber. He turned the book around in his hands and absentmindedly traced his fingers along the title. _A Game of Thrones. _It had been true when Reid told Morgan that he thought he wouldn't have liked the book. He hadn't read fantasy since he was a child, and he had expected the book to be engrossed with characters of magical races; how wrong he was, and that was not something Reid was used to. The book had instead been filled with symbolism, mythical lore, and a detailed history of the book's own world. Reid had read the book for the third time last night, and he found that he wanted to read the other six books as well. The young man looked around to search for the librarian who had graciously given the book to him, but she was nowhere to be found. As he looked throughout the library, Reid came to observe that library's fantasy and science fiction section was meager compared to the infinite rows of book shelves containing fiction. After a moment of scanning the books on the shelves, Reid came across the books he was looking for.

Gingerly he picked up the two books with his hands while holding the other book, glancing at the covers. Reid heard a sudden _thump_ behind him, and jumped despite himself and dropped the three books in the process.

"I'm sorry," came an Australian accent. Reid turned his head to find the librarian, Ivy Sawyer, shelving books across from the section he was standing in. The books collided with the shelf as they were put back into their proper place; that was the origin of the sound. At the corner of his eye, Reid read the titles and the authors' names beneath. "_The Kite Runner_ by Khaled Hosseni, _The Street of a Thousand Blossoms _by Gail Tsukiyama, and _Under the Red Sun _by Oliver Snow." The librarian looked at him in astonishment from his reading, and Reid shyly started picking up the books he had dropped.

"I can read twenty thousand words in a minute," he explained. He saw the strawberry blonde nod, her expression turning into pleasure when she saw the books in his hands.

"Now I know why you carry the second and third book in the series," she stated simply, but Reid could still see astonishment in her gaze when she looked at him. She finished staking the last book – _No Safe Place _by Debra Ellis – and checked the two books in Reid's hands when they came to the book check-out. "Were you surprised by the ending?" she asked it so shyly Reid would have misunderstood her if he didn't have sensitive hearing.

"No," he said. Their hands softly brushed as she handed the books to him, making Reid slightly blush. He blinked several times and focused on the book's font in front of him. "There was heavy foreshadowing that the eggs would hatch, although," he added with a pause. This time Reid was able to meet her eyes. _So dark blue, _he thought, _almost like the darkest blue in the sky. _ He noticed also that she had a pencil held in her ear. "I did not expect that the author had enough nerve to eliminate one of the main characters in the first book."

For a moment neither of the book-lovers said anything. Reid swallowed nervously as their silence continued and surprisingly focused on the curls located at the librarian's hair. It curled much like his own when at a certain length, and he noticed that the curls themselves were a darker shade of red than on any part of her hair. His breathing slightly quickened when her slim hand slightly brushed back a piece. "I cried when the death scene occurred," she said without looking at him, "and believe me, that death scene won't be the last."

Reid handed back the book she had given him, placing it in the center. "I hope I didn't do anything unintentionally to it," he said nervously as she skimmed through the pages. He watched her as she took the pencil out in her ear and wrote delicate script below the last date she had read the book. _January 16, 2014. _For some reason Reid didn't want to leave the library. And that wasn't just because there were many enticing books to choose from. _I…somehow I don't want to stop talking to her. _

"Thank you for taking care of my book," she stated. Reid met her eyes and found sincere gratitude in them. "Most people think this is strange, but I consider my books my friends."

"That's not weird at all," Reid stated. _Why would people find that strange? I find myself attached to my books too. _"People make attachments to the items they own, such as cars, paintings, jewelry, and cards. In fact…" Suddenly Reid realized that he was rambling again and abruptly stopped; but the woman in front of him didn't seem disturbed by him at all. She was faintly smiling at him.

"Your name Ivy is actually symbolic. Did you know that? Your name Ivy is actually derived from the plant of the same name." Reid knew that he truly was rambling this time, but the brightness in the librarian's – Ivy's – eyes didn't unnerve him as it had countless times before. "The meaning of your name is strong willed, in reference to the plant's stubborn nature to not wither away." Reid took a breath, noting that he spoke the information in one breath. "Did you know that ivies are often used to cover unsightly architecture even today in the twenty first century?"

"I did know that." Reid noticed how internally how he liked Ivy's smile; her smile made him want to smile as well, and he felt a flutter in his stomach that he hadn't felt since Maeve. "Thank you for reminding me." Her voice did not convey sarcasm, nor did it look like she wanted hurt him. Reid swallowed, suddenly nervous.

"Ivy?" The young woman looked up in surprise when Reid called her by her first name. "Is it…okay if I call you that?"

Ivy nodded. "You can call me by my name if you tell me yours," she replied.

"My name Dr. Spencer Reid; I have PhDs in mathematics, chemistry, and engineering. I also have three bachelor's degrees in sociology, psychology, and philosophy." Reid observed that Ivy's eyes appeared to darken more when he mentioned he had a doctorate degree. Then as soon as the emotion appeared, it was gone. She turned away from him abruptly and suddenly grabbed _A Game of Thrones _in her hands and stared intently at the cover. _Something's wrong,_ Reid thought. He could feel the tension seeping from Ivy Sawyer, and slowly moved away from the desk just as his cell phone started to ring.

"Hello?" Reid was aware of how hoarse his voice must have sounded, but he paid it no mind when Hotch told him that they had a case. Reid put _A Clash of Kings _and _A Storm of Swords _in his satchel and hurriedly walked to the library's door.

"Goodbye, Ivy."

He wondered if Ivy knew he had heard her say goodbye to him. _"Goodbye, Spencer." _It was thanks to his sensitive hearing that he was able to hear her goodbye, and remembered how Ivy's voice had also sounded softer when she said his name.

* * *

Ivy Sawyer stood still as she watched Spencer Reid, the man who had visited her library the past two days, disappeared from sight. She glanced back at the book he had given back to her, and skimmed through the pages, noting that she had never given anyone her books before since… _I wonder if he heard me say goodbye to him. _Ivy sighed and tried to contemplate the feelings she now had for Spencer Reid. She was very happy that he had come again, and that the haunted look in his eyes had disappeared. The swollen eyes that had glanced at the title of the book she was now holding had been overwhelmed with grief. She knew what that felt like. Ivy ran her thin hands through her strawberry blonde hair her mother had been so proud of. _I shouldn't have acted that way when he started telling me about his degrees, _she thought morosely. The past two years had not changed, however. Even when she was thousands of miles away from home, and away from the career she had loved, it still hurt to know that she had met a fellow person with a doctorate degree. _The pain still lingers, knowing that I cannot do my first love, _she thought. Her degree had been taken away by blood, and with it, the man she had loved.


	5. Chapter Five

_Chapter Five _

Reid walked into the conference room with his satchel and tie askew. He was aware of his somewhat disheveled appearance, from the curious expressions of Morgan and JJ, but he paid them no mind. _"We have a case," _Hotch had told him while in the library, and had abruptly hung up after that, leaving no details if the case was local or if they were going to be leaving on a plane. Reid had regretfully left the library too soon, and Ivy Sawyer as well. A faint blush appeared on the young genius' face at the thought of the Australian librarian, and he hoped that Morgan didn't notice. Although his friend and colleague was ignorant like a non-bibliophile would be, the dark man was a romantic. Coupled with Garcia, it would be a nightmare for Reid. His thoughts lingered on the beautiful strawberry-blonde haired woman, and wondered why she had reacted so drastically to his PhD status. _There's something I don't know, _Reid thought while setting down his satchel – with the books inside – and sitting down in one of the chairs. _There's more to her than I think I know. I could use my profiling skills, but it seems…wrong. I didn't use my profiling skills on Maeve, and it doesn't seem I should use the skills on Ivy either. _The thought of Maeve made his thoughts wander to the young woman he had loved and lost. He thought of her voice, and what she would have said to him right now, and she said –

Reid's thoughts were interrupted with reality.

"What took you so long to arrive in the land of the living, my Junior G-Man?" Garcia asked teasingly.

Reid shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Although he knew that Garcia was teasing him like she did to all the team members, Reid could see fear and sadness in her eyes. It was faint, but it was there. _They're still worried about me. _A flash of anger made him blink his hazel eyes. _They think I'm just a fragile kid. _Then his anger evaporated as quickly as it had come. _I was angry at myself, not them. It has been a one year and three days since Maeve died, and I can't forget that I had a break down on the anniversary of her death. The books have helped…but the feeling is still there. Will I ever be able to heal?_

Reid wanted to ask that question so very much; the question burned in his lungs. Instead he replied to Garcia that he was fine. He understood that neither Garcia nor the others believed him, but all of them turned their attention to the screen.

"So…there have been three murders locally," Garcia hastily said as the pictures of three young women came into view. The first woman had blonde hair and blue eyes and was Caucasian; the second woman had dark hair and dark eyes and was Latino; the third woman had black hair and dark eyes and was Asian. All of the victims were young, perhaps in the mid twenties to their early thirties. "The first victim was named Lisa Near, twenty two, and burned multiple times with a cattle prod." Garcia visibly shuddered as the profilers took a closer look at the first victim. Beneath her blonde hair and open blue eyes, there were second degree burns across her neck, head, chest and legs. _It looks like she was tortured until she died, _Reid thought. "The second victim was Sofia Morales, twenty-seven, and was drowned." Reid looked over the file he had in his hands, and found that Sofia Morales had died with water in her lungs. "The third victim was Ming Li, thirty two, and strangled to death." Visible marks of strangulation were visible on the woman's neck.

"When were exact dates of their deaths?" Hotch asked. He was grim.

"The first victim was killed on January 6, 2012. The second victim was killed on February 9, 2013, and the third victim was just found today." Garcia swallowed, visibly shaken by what she had seen, and was confused as the team was on victimology.

"This killer makes no sense," stated Rossi. "He seems to kill in the middle of winter, but the women he kills are of different ethnic groups, ages, employment, and," Rossi added with approval at Garcia, "financial status. There is no ritual in their deaths either. Garcia, did the victims live near each other or share any past history?"

"No," said Garcia with a sigh. "Not one of them knew each other."

The team was silent for a moment, focusing their minds on the case.

"The three women were killed in winter," Reid said. He was thinking out loud, but the team looked at him. "Winter is a symbol of death in many books, not just fiction. Why does he kill these women in winter?" Reid added, whispering the last sentence.

"Maybe winter is a stressor for the UnSub," suggested Blake. Reid thought about her idea for a moment, but shook his head.

"It's more than that." Again, the memories of Maeve's death interrupted him. He saw her body lying in the ground, her hair soaking with blood, and her face as pale as snow. _Winter is a stressor for me as well, especially around the week of Maeve's death. Perhaps…_ "Garcia, did any of the victims lose a loved one in the past three years in early December to late February?"

There was no sound besides the keys on the keyboard clicking, and articles and pictures appeared on the screen.

"Lisa Near had a boyfriend who died during his duty as a firefighter on January 6, 2009." _Tristan Hale, 23, burned to death while on duty on January 6, 2009 as a firefighter. He leaves behind his girlfriend, Lisa Near. _"Sofia Morales had a boyfriend who drowned in a lake on February 9, 2011." _The body of Antonio Alvarez, 25, was found in Deer Lake early in the morning of February 9, 2011. He is survived by his girlfriend, Sofia Morales._ "And Ming Li's boyfriend was attacked and strangled in his own home during a robbery on January 17, 2010." _Zingyi Long, a young ambitious resident of Mercy Hospital, was attacked and killed this morning during a robbery on January 17, 2010. His only surviving family includes his girlfriend, Ming Li. _

"The pictures of them convey that they were deeply in love," Morgan commented. Reid too stared at the pictures of Lisa kissing her boyfriend lightly on the cheek while in his sooty uniform. Sofia was lovingly embracing the handsome young man known as Antonio, and Ming had gently had her hand over her boyfriend's as they stood at the apartment they shared together. Reid looked quickly away from them, knowing very well what he thoughts would lead too.

"This UnSub kills women whose boyfriends died violently two to three years on the date they died." JJ stared sadly at the photos. "They survived the deaths of their loved ones, and they were targeted and killed because of it."

"Does drowning count as a violent death though?" Blake asked.

"Violence doesn't always coexist between two people. Sometimes there only needs to be one person to complete the act." The BAU team looked away from the screen at Reid. It was he who had spoken. His voice was calm as he said those words, but his hazel eyes were as haunted as before. "Twenty percent more people die from suicide than from homicide, and over twelve percent of violence in from the cause of war or war-related events." Reid stared at the pen in his hand with mild interest. "A violent death could be an overdose from drugs perhaps. Drowning in a painful way to die. A much more painful death than an overdose could ever be," Reid said quietly.

"Spence, what are you saying?" Reid turned his head to see JJ looking concerned. Her blue eyes were wide, and brimming from tears. _Not from the victims. For me. _

Reid licked his lips, uncertain of what he would say. The emotions that he thought we gone came rushing back. "I just…said a statistic, nothing more," he whispered meekly. From the frown on Morgan's face, and the hard stare Hotch gave him, Reid knew none of his teammates believed him. The concern and pitying over him was however interrupted. The screen with the information the team had gathered so far went black.

"What just happened?" Garcia squeaked. As soon as words were spoken, the screen came to life again. But everyone's shock was short-lived, for another more desperate emotion invaded their minds as soon as their eyes saw what was on the screen.

Multiple photos of the victims were posted on the screen. All of them were crying. All of them were either kneeling down or hugging the graves of their boyfriends. Flowers were caught by the camera after the victims had left, and many other photos showed the victims asleep with tear tracks in the eyes. These pictures were small though, and not the focus of the team's attention. Dr. Spencer Reid stared at the pictures of himself crying and weeping by Maeve's grave during the months after her death. He saw again the flowers he had set on her grave and of himself lying against his bookcase in the hellish two weeks he had mourned Maeve. He saw the most recent photo of himself, holding Maeve's grave marker as he sobbed. _That was the day I met Ivy._ There were pictures of him sleeping too. But what caught his eye was not himself. There were other pictures too of a younger woman with strawberry blonde hair crouching down to a grave. Tears were in her eyes, and Reid saw many photos like those. He seemed to lose his focus when he saw the face of the woman who was wearing a long white coat and who was carrying flowers in her hand. She was holding a book in her other hand. Reid instantly recognized the solemn almond shaped and dark blue eyes that stared back at him. Her hair was longer than it was now, but he recognized her.

"Ivy…" Reid breathed. He couldn't seem to find his voice.


	6. Chapter Six

_Chapter Six_

The team was silent as they continued to stare at the photos of the victims – and of Reid and of Ivy. No one made a sound, as if they were frightened of what would come out of their mouths if they spoke. Reid continued to look flabbergasted at the photos of Ivy Sawyer. His gaze lingered on the brightness of her swollen dark blue eyes. Suddenly he remembered of what Ivy had told him the day he had met her. _"The past remains the past. We can learn from it, but we cannot change it." She knew how I was suffering because she knew what it was like to lose someone you love. _Reid's hazel eyes were drawn to Ivy's white coat that was draped around her shoulders. _That's why she reacted so strongly when I told her about my PhDs. She was a medical doctor…a doctor that couldn't do what she loved anymore. _A long time ago, Gideon had told him about losing the love for your career, and that at that time, it was time to move one. Reid's throat constricted in pain at the thought. Thoughts of his former mentor came unexpected at times, and the memories always hurt. He missed Gideon more than he would admit to himself and to the others, and he wondered what Gideon would say to a person who still had the passion and love for what they did but could not do it anymore.

"Reid?" The young genius turned his head to find the members of his team looking warily at him.

"Yes?" he asked. Morgan looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't. It was Blake who confronted Reid.

"When you saw those pictures, I thought I heard you murmur something under your breath. What was it?" Blake looked him in the eye, and her gaze was so intense Reid had to look away.

"It was a name," he began hesitantly. The young doctor looked at Blake again, and she nodded to him. _She was the only one who I told about Maeve. _"I said a name. I know her," Reid said. The team looked at him in alarm. "Her name is Ivy Sawyer, and she was the one who gave me the books I'm reading right now."

"The librarian," Morgan added. Reid nodded, and he could see concerned glances being exchanged between JJ and Garcia. He had seen that look before. Reid licked his lips and began to speak hurriedly in order to stop the memories from overflowing in his mind.

"I saw her earlier this morning to get the second and third books in the series. I remember very well of how she told me that books were friends, and her bewilderment over the fact that people would find that attachment awkward and strange." _She didn't laugh at me when I started rambling. _"When I told her about who I was, she just…froze. She wouldn't meet my eyes when I told her about my PhDs. Now I know why," Reid added. The team nodded, knowing that their youngest member was talking about the photo of Ivy Sawyer wearing a physician's uniform. Hotch looked at the photos with increasing grimness, and spoke to Reid in a short tone.

"Based on these photos, we think that the UnSub is stalking you and Ms. Sawyer. Did you ever feel unsafe in your apartment or feel that someone is watching you?"

"No," Reid said.

"Garcia, can you find us anything related to Dr. Ivy Sawyer?" Hotch continued. Garcia immediately brought out her laptop and instantly began responding. "She would have resigned from her medical lisence not long after her boyfriend died."

"Actually, it won't be that easy." Reid flushed, knowing that the unit chief's hard eyes would be on him. He cleared his throat. "Ivy's from Australia."

Morgan whistled, and Reid saw Garcia share a smile with the older agent.

"Do not worry, my Junior G-Man. Garcia can work some magic, and she will find anything about your Assuie girlfriend." There were several clicks and the embarrassing silence from Garcia's statement was nullified. "Okay." Garcia made a face and shuddered. "Are you sure you want to date this girl, Reid?"

"We're not dating," Reid said frantically. Clearly Morgan did not believe him from the grins the older man gave him. Rossi looked amused. "I just met Ivy three days ago. Besides, why wouldn't I…not like to know her more? She likes books as much as I do."

"That's saying something," Morgan commented. JJ and Reid gave him an exasperated look.

"It's not that this Ivy Sawyer is bad Reid; it's just that this girl…is like the Australian's version of _Annie_. Her parents died from a terrible car accident when she was twelve. She was moved to foster care, where she was physically and emotionally abused." Garcia visibly shuddered. "She was emaciated from the foster care system when she was eighteen and graduated from Canberra University in 2009 with a medical degree. Her boyfriend, the bestselling author Oliver Snow, was killed in their apartment in January of 2012. She never recovered from the loss and moved to the U.S. and became the librarian you know."

"How was Oliver Snow killed?" JJ asked as Reid thought. _Under the Red Sun by Oliver Snow. _Reid closed his eyes. _That must have been him._

"He was beat to death," Garcia said in a small voice. "There was a lot of rage from the attacker. Apparently a reader of one of his books killed him because he didn't like the ending." Garcia's hollow laugh echoed in the tense conference room. "Isn't that freaky/"

Everyone in the room expected Reid to start stating statistics as he had before, but the young genius was silent. He was looking at the pictures of Ivy with a pensive look on his face.

"Reid?"

"Garcia, did Oliver Snow publish a book titled _Under the Red Sun_?"

"He did." Reid and closed his eyes. He was aware of the eyes on him, and began speaking.

"I saw one of his books in the library Ivy was working at." Reid shook his head. "I should have noticed how she put the book back in such a caring manner, almost as if she was putting a child to bed. I should have known."

"Kid." Morgan appeared in front of Reid, his eyes serious. "You couldn't have known that she lost her boyfriend, the same way she wouldn't have known you had lost Maeve." Reid nodded. His throat was tight from the mention of Maeve's name.

"From now on, you can't be involved in this investigation, Reid." Hotch said. "You're considered a target now, and I won't let this UnSub kill a member of my team. I also can't let him kill anyone my team cares about." Reid looked up, ludicrous at what Hotch was implying. "Love comes in stages. You've just had the first step. You care for her even though you've only known her for a few days." For a moment the leader's eyes filmed over. _He's thinking about Haley. _"You and Ivy are in danger, and you will be protected. A safe house is order, because this UnSub knows where both of you live. We need to find Ivy. Can you show us the way?"

Reid nodded, the seriousness of the situation had dawned on him the moment the pictures of himself and Ivy had appeared. _I'm a potential victim for this UnSub. Ivy and I both. _He thought of his beloved Maeve, and of how Diane had almost took his life as well as Maeve's. _That won't happen again. I will die a thousand deaths before that happens again. _


	7. Chapter Seven

_ Chapter Seven_

Ivy Sawyer was reading the sixth book in _A Song of Ice and Fire _series for the third time. A smile reached her eyes as she remembered ordering the book for her library. It was not long after Oliver had died. Ivy's smile faded, and she closed the hardcover book with a sigh. Some of the copies of Oliver's own work were in this very library. _Under the Red Sun _was just one of the ten books he had written before he had died. Ivy walked towards the section containing his works. As she held the book in her hands, Ivy remembered so clearly of how hard her boyfriend had worked on _Under the Red Sun _it hurt. She closed her eyes to keep the tears at bay, but she kept remembering the dark and final memory of Oliver. _The blood soaked deeply into the smooth wood, making it seem like a scene from one of his books… _Ivy swallowed and opened her eyes, gasping with fear and despair, even though her mind knew that the terrible day was dead and gone for two years, her entire body shook from the thought of the blood soaking her hands as she had desperately tried to revive Oliver.

_Blood, _she thought. _It always goes back to blood. _Even in the series she loved so much, there was never a shortage of the erythrocytes that leaked from the subcutaneous tissue. Without thinking sometimes, Ivy would start using medical terminology when reading or just checking out books. Her first career that she had forsaken after the death of her boyfriend always followed wherever she went. Even now, a thousand miles from home and in a different career, the dedicated physician she had been shadowed her. Ivy put back Oliver's book back with a heavy heart, thinking about something else entirely.

Dr. Spencer Reid. She missed him more than she would admit. The man who had come to take his mind off his lost loved one had entered her mind more often than not. There was something about him that reminded Ivy of Oliver. A ghost of a smile appeared on her face when she remembered how Spencer had told her what her name had meant. _"Thank you for reminding me," _she had said. Ivy remembered too of how surprised the brown haired man had looked when she had said those words and had not looked like he was insane. _Believe it or not, I used to ramble too. _A long-suppressed memory resurfaced in her mind. Ivy had been very good at science and math ever since she was a very small child, and she had very few friends because science – biology, anatomy and physiology, and pathology – was all she talked about. Instead of having books about handsome men and knights in shining armor, Ivy would have college textbooks about varying different science fields, and she made up math problems for fun. It had seemed that only her parents had accepted her and loved her for who she was. Then they were unceremoniously taken away from her.

Then Oliver had come. He was a young man with dark brown hair and green eyes that changed color depending on the sunlight. Ivy had started allowing herself to feel loved again – and she told him about the many nights in her adolescent years that she wanted to forget but couldn't forget. He understood. He was the one who reintroduced her to the love of reading, and _A Song of Ice and Fire. _He was the one who had reminded her of what her name meant. It was interesting to note that Spencer had stated the same words Oliver had told her three years ago when they had met. There seemed to be an innocence or perhaps naiveté that cloaked the young man with three PhDs. She could tell by his hazel eyes – his beautiful hazel eyes – that he had been through pain. Perhaps as much as her. Ivy remembered what she had told him before he had left three days ago. _"'The past remains the past. We can learn from it, but we cannot change it.'" _How tears had wanted to flow out of both eyes then. Ivy's memory was as good as it had always been, and she remembered of how Spencer had opened his mouth for nothing to come out. The agony and pain in his swollen eyes were still in her mind when there was a knock on the library door.

"Coming," Ivy said. She ran her hands through her strawberry blonde hair and opened the door once she reached it. There were three men standing in the doorway. All were tall, but had distinguishing characteristics. One was brown and was bald; the ID stated that he was SSA Derek Morgan. The other one had dark hair and didn't smile. Ivy was about to look at his ID for a name, but a pair of familiar hazel eyes stopped her. The youngest member of the group had curly brown hair that reached to his neck. He had a thin face and pianist-like hands. A hint of a smile reached his face before it disappeared, and he opened his mouth to say something.

Ivy beat him to it. "Spencer…" she breathed. _Why is he here with two FBI agents? _"Spencer, what's going on?" A look passed between the three FBI agents.

"My name is SSA Aaron Hotchner, and this is SSA Derek Morgan." The FBI agent gestured to the brown bald man. "This is Dr. Spencer Reid."

"Is there something I should know?" Ivy asked. She noticed how Spencer would not meet her eyes.

"There is." This time Spencer met her eyes. His eyes glinted in sorrow and fear. "Ivy, you and I are targeted by a serial killer." Before Ivy could process what he had said, Spencer continued. "He targets people who have lost significant others in a violent manner, and my team and I were sent pictures of the victims he had stalked and later killed. He sent pictures of both of us, Ivy."

The information echoed in Ivy's sharp mind. However, the only information she could digest was that she _and _Spencer had been targeted.

"You lost someone?" She whispered hoarsely. She watched as Spencer stiffly nodded, and a film appeared over his eyes.

"Yes," he said. The crack in his voice made Ivy want to weep. "Her name…was Maeve. She was killed by a vengeful stalker."

"Why don't we take this inside?" SSA Aaron Hotchner suggested. Ivy nodded, and she brought four reading chairs beside one of the book sections. She noticed of how she sat instinctively near Spencer. The three agents – she had seen Spencer's ID at the corner of her eye – sat in front of her.

"Ms. Sawyer, we have some questions to ask you if that's okay," Hotch said. _I heard Spencer call him Hotch on the phone; maybe I should call him that too._

"Of course," she said.

"How did Oliver Snow die? He was your boyfriend, correct?" His face was expressionless as Ivy's lips quivered.

"He was…beat to death." Ivy's hands gripped the arms of the chair until her hands turned white. "I…found him when I came home from a shift." She was aware of Spencer watching her with a worried expression. "I tried to revive him…but there was so much blood. There was so much."

"Why did you move to America after he died? We just want to know why you left." Hotch said.

"How are my answers helping this investigation?" Ivy hissed. She suddenly felt angry from his questioning. The questions she had been asked over and over again in her home had now come back in a vengeance. "Spencer said that a serial killer was targeting us. How are these questions going to help you?"

"We have come to believe that this serial killer targeting people who have lost their boyfriends or girlfriends in a violent manner," Hotch stated calmly. He didn't react to Ivy's anger. "While my team, the BAU, were working on the case, we found pictures of you and of Dr. Reid. We believe that he stalks them before he kills them."

"You believe that Spencer and I are in danger?" Ivy inferred. Her hunch was proven correct when Hotch nodded.

"The serial killer knows where you live, and we thought it would be best if you both lived together in a safe house." Hotch's hard stare met Ivy's wide eyes. "Do you have any concerns with that?"

Ivy hoped that Hotch didn't see her blush. "No, I don't."

"I'm going to have to ask you again." Although his face was cut out of stone, there was a hint of sympathy in his eyes. "Why did you leave Australia?"

Ivy felt her body turn cold. She felt a hard lump in her chest and swallowed. Her dark blue eyes squinted with tears, and her eyesight blurred. _"What is dead does never die, but rises harder and stronger." That's a saying of the Iron Islands. What bullshit. Oliver….my Oliver is dead, and he's not rising. He's not stronger. The only thing that ever will be is the dirt and soil covering his coffin. _Ivy felt her muscles clench, and she bit her lip. Not hard enough to draw blood.

"Ivy?" His voice was so quiet the librarian almost missed it. But it was there, and Ivy turned his swollen eyes to the beautiful hazel eyes of Dr. Spencer Reid. "It's okay," he soothed. She could see that he wanted to reach out for her hand but was frightened to. "It's okay to be afraid. Remember…what Ned Stark told his son?"

"Yes," Ivy whispered hoarsely. She remembered very well. Oliver had told her that, once. "I…" she whispered. She licked her lips. "I remember watching him die. I can still remember running to his still form as his death rattle sounded in the room. All I could see…was the blood. It was everywhere. I…can still feel the warm thick blood in my hands…and I can still hear myself screaming at him to wake up." She looked up at Hotch and wasn't ashamed of the tears streaming down her face.

"I still remember…not wanting to leave him…when the ambulance came. I couldn't leave him, I thought." A lapse of silence enveloped the four. No one said anything. "…A month later, I thought I was reading to go back to work and to what I loved. That was not to be. I froze…at the first sight of blood." Ivy gasped out loud, her hands covering her face. "I kept coming back and back…but I couldn't do my job anymore. Even today, I still…I can't take the sight of blood. I thought that by moving to a place where no one knew me, and to take a career without the death rattle echoing in my mind and the blood everywhere…that my wounds inside would heal." Ivy angrily wiped away her tears and stared blankly at the book on her desk.

"Okay," Hotch said. Silently he and the FBI agent known as Morgan got up from the chairs and walk to the doorway. "Reid, are you coming?" Ivy looked back and realized that Spencer was still sitting in the chair. The compassionate man didn't move or make a sound as he held Ivy's hand. His fingers fit perfectly with hers, and Ivy had a sudden memory of Oliver doing the same after she had lost a patient. Both hands seem to say, _It's okay. I'm here. _Ivy gave Spencer a watery smile, and allowed herself to calm herself down enough to hear the beating of his heart. That was what she had done with Oliver.

She felt the gentle beating of Spencer's heart and felt for a moment that everything was alright.


	8. Chapter Eight

_Chapter Eight_

Reid felt calm. He felt Ivy's sweet breath against his chin, and continued to feel at peace as his heart beat rhythmically in his chest. Ivy's small head rested against his slim form, making him forget all else. Ivy's half-lidded eyes softened and ceased to cry tears. She seemed to calm. Again, Reid felt his heartbeat in his ears, and he wanly smiled. It was as if he knew that his steady heartbeat had soothed Ivy. Unconsciously, Reid was about to run his thin hands through her silky hair but was interrupted.

"Reid!" It was Morgan. "Are you and Ms. Sawyer ready to go?"

The young genius felt Ivy stir against him, and he watched her withdraw from him without making a sound. A faint blush marked his face once Reid realized what he had been about to do, but Ivy appeared more serene than ever. She touched his hand slightly over his and whispered a faint "Thank you," to him. Reid could only watch as Ivy gathered her book and walked outside to meet Hotch and Morgan as he continued to sit still in the chair, a loss for words.

"As we stated earlier, you and Ms. Sawyer will be staying in a safe house not far our headquarters in Quantico." Reid and Ivy were sitting in the back of the black SUV as Hotch drove. Morgan was sitting beside him, looking at the scenery for any visible danger. "You will be given a house key and your names will be aliases. Do you understand?" The unit chief looked back at them.

Reid nodded, but he saw Ivy's calm face turn into a worried one. Her eyes seemed to turn into a darker blue, and her lips became a frozen line. "What's wrong, Ivy?"

"Are we allowed to bring anything with us?" Her accent became more pronounced, and Reid saw Ivy brush back her hair uncertainly.

"No," Morgan stated. "You are not allowed to go back to your houses or you apartments; the UnSub may already be there, waiting for you." He seemed to feel the tension Ivy had, because he asked, "Are you okay?"

"I have a cat named Akira." Ivy's lips trembled, making Reid want to comfort her. "Oliver adopted her as his own not long before he died, and I've taken care of her for two years. Will someone be able to take care of her?"

"Of course," Morgan stated. Reid raised his eyebrows, knowing that the older man did not like cats. "Garcia will be able to take care of her while you and Reid are away."

Ivy noticed immediately the familiarity Morgan spoke when speaking of Garcia. "Who is Garcia?" she asked. Her features became relaxed, and Reid again saw the smile that he secretly adored. He allowed himself to glance at the strawberry blonde woman again before looking outside the window.

"She's are technical analyst," Reid told her. For a moment their eyes – hazel and dark blue – met for a brief second. "There's four others on the team beside Hotch, Morgan, and I."

"Will I be able to meet them?" Ivy asked. Her voice almost sounded wistful, and for a moment Reid wondered if she meant to grasp his hand again. But she didn't, and the four rode in uncomfortable silence.

* * *

The safe house was a small building with a small gray door as an entrance. _There's only four windows, _Reid thought as he and Ivy stepped out of the black SUV as Morgan and Hotch waited for them. _It's a small house and not secluded, _he continued to observe. There were other houses beside the safe house. One had a small backyard and a playground. Another had a small garden.

"Each of you will have a disposable cell phone if either of you need to contact us," Hotch instructed. He handed a black small cell phone to Reid and Ivy. "Our cell numbers were installed." For a moment the larger man stood back and watched as the two younger adults held their disposable cell phones and their house keys. "Stay safe," he whispered. Hotch disappeared into the SUV. Morgan remained. His dark eyes met Reid's, and working with him for a number of years, Reid knew that Morgan was worried.

"Take care of him, okay?" His voice wavered for a moment as he stared at the Australian librarian. Ivy nodded, and Reid felt her eyes watching him as he embraced Morgan. As the black SUV drove away, Reid felt slim hand entwine his own. The young genius looked slightly downward, and saw that Ivy had her hands in his own in a strong grip. Despite the fear growing in his heart, Reid smiled at her, not knowing if he was comforting her or both of them.

Ivy and Reid looked around the entire house, but they could not find any books anywhere. There were other unnecessary technological devices – a television, a laptop, and DVDs – but no books. _I remembered when Ivy sarcastically thanked Hotch for boring us to death, _Reid thought as he read the last page of _A Storm of Swords_. He smiled faintly, remembering of how he had laughed at her dry sense of humor, and of how Ivy had sheepishly smiled back at him. _It was as if no one had laughed at her sense of humor before. I know that feeling. _The young genius' thoughts turned to the book as he read out loud the last line. _"'Winterfell was not dead, only broken. Just like me.'"_

A part of Reid listened to the sounds of Ivy cooking in the kitchen; he heard the sounds of knives cutting onions and the sounds of something bubbling, sounding very much like a waterfall to his sensitive ears. The aroma of the cooking food entered his nostrils, making the young man realize how hungry he was. _Ivy wanted me to read while she cooked. I was going to use the microwave for quick dinner, but Ivy had something else in mind. _It had been four hours since then. Another part of Reid continued to hear the last words in _A Clash of Kings_ to waver in his mind. During the days, weeks, and months after Maeve's death, Reid had felt empty. It was as if the horrors and emotions he had held inside during his thirty-one years had disappeared the day Maeve had ceased to exist. He had felt so lost and empty those times that he thought about using _it _again. Reid shuddered at the memory. He had cried himself to sleep after the cravings for _it _withered away like his broken heart. A year later, Reid still felt pangs of agony and despair. The last line from one of the children of Ned Stark spoke to him. _"Not dead, only broken."_ Reid still felt Maeve's ghost beside him at times, and he vividly remembered how he had met Ivy Sawyer in the first place. _I wasn't dead, only broken._

Ivy was still healing as well. Reid saw it in her eyes when she had spoken of Oliver Snow. Her grief had been so strong that she couldn't pursue her career as a physician anymore. She had hemophilia. Reid still trembled when anger when he thought of how Hotch had questioned Ivy. They had questioned families of the victims many times, but this time it seemed different. Reid could actually _feel _the agony seeping out of Ivy's entire core. He still saw her dark and beautiful blue eyes swollen with tears. Reid thought of her courage. _She's strong, stronger than I'll ever be. _Reid thought about the last line again. _We're not dead, _he thought. Reid knew that he could feel Ivy's pain because he had been through the same thing as she. He had watched Maeve die; she had watched Oliver die. He knew that both of them still loved and cared for their significant others, despite the fact that breath ceased to come out of them. They were both still grieving…despite falling in love. _We're not dead, only broken. And broken things heal with time. _


	9. Chapter Nine

_Chapter Nine_

Reid sat across from Ivy at the table. Shortly after finishing _A Storm of Swords_, Ivy had called him, telling him that dinner was ready. Reid wasn't certain what to expect when he had entered the kitchen of their safe house. The aroma coming from the food as it as cooked foreshadowed that the meal would be delicious. Reid had eaten at JJ's sometimes, and her cooking was good; better than his. The young genius didn't think he would be able to taste food from a better cook. From the first bite of the pasta saturated with homemade sauce – complete with sliced pieces of garlic, basil leaves, onions, and minced pepper – Reid knew he had come across far superior cook than JJ. He was aware of Ivy watching him nervously as he swallowed; perhaps she was afraid he wouldn't like it. Reid saw her lovely smile appear again as he voiced his approval. He smiled back. For a couple of moments, neither of them said anything. The two were immensely focused on their food, but then Reid broke the silence.

"Who taught you to cook so well?" he asked. Ivy looked at him curiously for a moment. She still had a fork in her hand, and put the utensil down slowly onto the napkin across from the paper plate she was using.

"My mother taught me how to cook," she said softly. Ivy blinked, and she looked at Reid not with sadness in her eyes, but with a hint of happiness and sadness. "When I was a little girl, I always helped my mother prepare meals. It was my favorite part of my day besides school." Ivy ran her hands through her strawberry blonde hair, and Reid had to force himself to not allow her eyes to follow her. "She was so proud of my hair," Ivy whispered. Now her voice sounded wistful and was brimming with emotion. "She used to say that when I got older, no man or boy would be able to resist me." Ivy gave Reid a bittersweet smile. "My mother never got to see me with Oliver, the only man who cared about my heart, not my hair." Ivy sighed from deep in her chest and continued speaking of her dead mother. Reid thought of his own mother, kind, loving, and patient despite her schizophrenia. Her rare smiles echoed in his mind, and Reid couldn't imagine losing her. _How could someone deal with the loss of their mother at twelve years old? I know I couldn't._

"My mother was a paramedic. She was a good one." Ivy looked away from Reid, and without looking at her, Reid knew that the young librarian was struggling not to cry. "But that didn't save her from being killed by a drunk driver."

"I'm sorry," Reid said softly. He already knew this of course. Garcia had told him and the team when they had received the many pictures of the victims and of himself and Ivy from the UnSub. _That doesn't make it easier though._

Ivy shrugged. "It was a long time ago." She looked at him curiously. "What about your mother?"

"My mother is a paranoid schizophrenic." Reid remembered the time when he had finally told his team about his mother; an UnSub had strapped himself with bombs and was about to blow himself, the team, and his daughter up in flames. Gideon had still been with them. "I had to take care of her as a boy," he continued. Memories of caring for his mentally ill mother resurfaced. He remembered the times when she had read to him when she was still in her nightgown; he remembered making meals for them; and he remembered being hit for the first time in his life by his mother during one of her episodes. _She thought I was a spy. My mother didn't intentionally hurt me, unlike… _"She's in an institution now, getting the care I couldn't give her when she was with me." Ivy didn't stare at him differently as his team had done when he had told them the truth; she simply nodded and listened. "My…father left us when I was ten." A bitter taste came into his mouth, and Reid still felt the old anger. "I thought it was because he couldn't take her schizophrenia anymore, but it was actually from another incident."

_The clothes were burning… _"I saw him again after seventeen years, and I haven't seen him since." He shook his head. "I still can't forgive him."

"You don't have to, Spencer." Ivy's voice was empathetic. There seemed to be no judgment. "Sometimes…people act in ways that cannot be washed from memory no matter how hard they beg our forgiveness." For a moment, neither of them said anything. Reid's mind revolved around Ivy's wisdom.

"Thank you, Ivy." Ivy's only reply was a soft smile, and the two began eating again.

* * *

It was late at night when the nightmare came. Reid was motionless as his mind was in turmoil. A year had disappeared in an instant. Reid felt the cloth against his eyes, and he heard the sound of his footsteps against the cold hard ground. Suddenly the cloth was removed. And Reid saw her again. Maeve's hair was across her forehead, and her eyes were wide and red-rimmed. Her small breasts heaved against her chest. There was no gun pointed to her head. They were alone. Reid smiled with joy, happy that at last the bloody nightmares that had tormented him since the day of her death were gone forever. Tears traveled down his cheeks as he ran toward his love, but suddenly Maeve turned away from him

Hurt and confusion marred the genius' brain before he could bring himself to speak.

"Maeve?" His voice echoed eerily in the abandoned warehouse. "Maeve?" Suddenly the woman turned toward him, her eyes that he loved sharp with agony…and anger.

"How could you have forgotten about me so quickly?" Her voice trembled as she looked at Reid. Tears streaked down her face. "Spencer?" Maeve's voice became high with desperation. "How could have forgotten all we've been through?" Reid was frozen as the tears continuously created a puddle on the floor. His mouth was open slightly, wanting to speak but unable to. "Ten months was all we had. And now you've forgotten about me." Maeve's voice rose in anger, something Reid thought Maeve wasn't capable of. "You only knew for four days, and you're falling in _love _with her! It's barely been a year." Now she was sobbing. Reid could only watch with a broken heart as Maeve continued to cry. "No wonder you said you didn't love me." Her voice was a whisper, but the words reached Reid's heart and pierced it like thorns. "You _didn't _love me."

"No, Maeve." Reid whispered desperately. His hazel eyes were wide and were struggling to hold in tears. "I'm sorry. I'm _so _sorry." Guilt ravaged him again, as it had many times before. "I only said that to stop Diane from hurting you. I did love you. I still do." The tears flowed free now, entering his mouth and dripping onto the ground. "I only said I didn't love you to allow Diane to let you go." His voice became a whimper. "Please, forgive me, my love."

Maeve's swollen eyes met his own "Why couldn't say save me? You're the smartest one of your team. You saved so many people. Why couldn't you save _me, _Spencer?"

"You don't know how many times I wanted you to be alive and for a to-be victim to be dead," Reid said. His voice was drowning in sadness. "I…wanted you to be in their place so much it hurt."

"But you don't love me anymore." Reid raised his head sharply. He gasped once he realized Maeve had a gun to her head. "You love _her _now, don't you?" Her voice trembled with despair. "I thought you would always love me, Spencer." A year disappeared in an instant, and Reid again watched hopelessly as Maeve's beautiful lifeless body collided with the ground.

"_No!" _Cold sweat coated his body and the sheets. His hazel eyes opened painfully, not yet aware they were bloodshot. His body was stiff, and Reid sat up with a moan. The dream was vivid in his mind, and Reid hugged his knees. Every dream he had since the year before was embedded in his mind. This one, the one most recent, had been the worst. Reid sobbed as he hugged his knees. _"No…" _he whispered. _"No…"_

"Spencer?"

Reid recognized that voice, soft and quiet with a beautiful Australian accent.

It was Ivy.


	10. Chapter Ten

_Chapter Ten_

"Spencer?" Ivy spoke again. When she had first called Reid's name, her voice was tentative and worried. Now the worry was more pronounced and the Australian woman spoke more firmly as Reid's silence continued. "I'm coming in." Reid closed his eyes as the door opened. He heard Ivy's quiet steps across the wooden floor and felt her slim body make an indent in the sheets when she sat across from him. He tried to close his eyes and banish the dream of Maeve from his mind – the sad and angry Maeve that he hadn't known – but the memory remained.

"Spencer?" Reid open his eyes and saw Ivy looking at him, her expression concerned. "I heard you sobbing from your room, and I thought I would come in and check on you." Her eyes did not waver when the young genius' swollen eyes met her own. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" Reid whispered. His voice was hoarse and barely audible. He wasn't aware of Ivy reaching for his hand. He only felt numbness when Ivy spoke the words that he was afraid to speak himself.

"You dreamt of Maeve." Reid's breath hitched at the sound of his girlfriend's name. The young genius tried to look away, but Ivy's knowing stare did not leave him. "She was angry at you. She said that you had forgotten her, and that you were falling in love with another." Reid swallowed and felt his chest tighten. "I…only know this because I had the same dream two nights ago." Ivy's voice was calm and soothing, as if she was speaking about another person and not herself. "Oliver was angry with me…for forgetting him." Tears were streaking down her face. "He wanted me to mourn him forever and forget you." Reid felt Ivy's hand squeeze his. "My heart was shaken so badly after that dream, even though the Oliver I knew would never say that." Ivy bit her lip and closed her dark blue eyes for a second. "My Oliver would have wanted me to be happy and move on from his death." With her other hand, Ivy wiped away her tears as Reid's tears kept flowing. She held his hand gently. "It's okay to cry, Spencer."

At that moment the self-control the brown haired man had shattered into little tiny pieces. He hung his head, aware that his tears were soaking the sheets. He clutched his pianist-like hands into the sheets, making them white. Vaguely Reid heard Ivy calling his name. Or was it Maeve? Reid kept hearing both voices in his head, kept on hearing the gunshot that took his first love's life, and sobbed. His skinny body stared rocking back and forth, but the tears kept on coming. Reid was startled for a moment when he felt Ivy's warm arms encircle his body, but he calmed down slightly as moments passed. He felt Ivy's hands run through his hair. That was something his mother had done sometimes.

"I'm not weak," he muttered into Ivy's neck. "I'm not weak."

"Of course you're not," Ivy said. Ivy continued to stroke his hair. Her sweet breath entered his ear as she whispered into it. "You were never weak, Spencer. You're just healing…just like me." Reid continued to feel her sweet breath against him as they quieted. Suddenly the terrible memory of Maeve faded. Reid continued to calm and his heartbeat steadied as Ivy continued to embrace him.

"Long ago, there was a young girl named Li-Juan Wei. She had survived the horrifying eight years of war, and was free of Japanese captivity. She counted on being reunited with her family and starting a new life." Reid didn't make a sound as Ivy spoke. Emotion was bubbling in her voice. "However, only her father survived the war. Her mother, older brother, and little sister died in the prison camps. Her father wouldn't acknowledge her. She was died in his eyes; her honor had been broken." Ivy took a deep breath and continued. "The young girl wandered around the county side for a few days before she was found, nearly dead, by an old woman. Li-Juan wakes to find herself being taken care of by a tattered young man. She thanks him for what he has done, and tells him that she will do whatever he asks her to do in repayment for saving her life. But Li-Juan finds out too late that the young man who saved her is named Yoshiro Takashiro. Ever since she came from the Japanese camps, broken and scarred, she has hated the Japanese for what they did to her and her people. But her vow has been made, and Li-Juan has to follow Yoshiro to help people whoever need his help. That is what he asked her to do."

Ivy fell silent after that. Reid noticed that her blue eyes blinked every few seconds, and she was holding him tightly. Her face was white as snow, and her lips had broken veins from her teeth biting into them. "What happened next?" Reid whispered.

"Against her will, Li-Juan slowly falls in love with the former Japanese soldier. He tells her many of his secrets over the year they are together travelling the country side, including telling her that he tried to live back home but couldn't. His passed actions in the war haunted him, and so he decided to face his nightmares and arrived in China. Redemption was the only way the hole in his broken heart could heal. Yoshiro and Li-Juan start to become closer, and one night Yoshiro confesses that he loves Li-Juan too. Under the stars in the summer wind, they make love. Later the two hear of rumors of the Nationalist Army becoming defeated by Mao Tsu-tung, and decide that it is time for Yoshiro to return to Japan. Li-Juan wants to go with him, and after a heated argument, he agrees." Ivy swallowed and Reid felt her tears trickle down his face. He looked at Ivy to see her face marred with emotional pain. "But only days later, Yoshiro is killed by a mob of survivors from the camps. It has been a year since the war ended, and they took out their anger and hatred at the only person who reminded them of their agony. He dies in Li-Juan's arms, and Li-Juan goes on a ship set for Japan alone." Ivy sighed from deep in her chest, and she embraced him again. Her tears soaked through his curly hair. "In the epilogue, Li-Juan is shown walking with her young son ten years after the war. The son wonders asks what the war was about, and Li-Juan tells the boy of the war and of how she met his father."

"That was Oliver's book, wasn't it?" Reid asked. He spoke quietly. "The one that got him killed?" Ivy nodded. Suddenly she started to stroke his hair again and smiled at him, tears running down her cheeks.

"It was such a good book," Ivy muttered. "It won so many awards. But that book was the last one Oliver would ever write, because a month after it was published, he was killed by one of his fans. I was the one who suggested the ending." Ivy shook her head. "I was the one who suggested that Yoshiro should die. He liked the idea…and that got him killed." Ivy shook, and her arms fell from Reid. She looked at him, and Reid saw the same haunted expression he had when he met her for the first time. "I tell myself that it wasn't my fault that Oliver died...but I still hear his death rattle in my head." Reid took Ivy's hand in his, and gently squeezed it. Ivy seemed to calm slightly. "I know this is how you feel about Maeve…and I sometimes wonder if we'll be able to purely love each other without thinking about the person who captured our heart first."

Silently Reid and Ivy lied on the bed; Ivy's head rested against Reid's chest, and he ran his slim fingers through her lovely hair. "It has been said that time heals all wounds. I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone." Reid felt Ivy become still against him. "They will never be gone, Ivy. Oliver…and Maeve will always be in our minds. They will always be with us. All I know…is that our loves would be happy to know we found happiness again." He tasted his tears. "I love you, Ivy." The words came easily out of his mouth so smoothly. The words he wanted to say to Maeve so much were uttered softly, as if he feared that spirits would take Ivy too if he uttered the words to loudly. He felt Ivy's sweet breath against his cheek and felt her nuzzle against his neck.

"I love you too, Spencer."

The words made both of them smile, and embraced in their own happiness, the two fell into an exhausted and dreamless sleep.


	11. Chapter Eleven

_Chapter Eleven_

Garcia was humming a tune as she walked in her high heels to Ivy Sawyer's house. Her car was parked in front, and she hadn't believed that the woman who had captured her baby genius' heart owned a house. Then the blonde woman had giggled. _Not everyone lives in an apartment._ Ivy was not an FBI agent either, and she had been a physician after all. She must have used the money to buy the house two years ago. Garcia sighed, breaking her thoughts at the sight of the small blue building. Light blue paint coated the house. A door the color of the ocean was located in the center. There was one window located near the door. Garcia could see a bookshelf shelved with books. There was a small backyard in front of the house. A flower garden was up against the house, the petals dead and withered. _It's a nice place, _Garcia thought as she pulled out the house key Morgan had given her. _Now where is the kitty?_

The blonde woman took off her shoes when she entered the house and closed the door. She smiled, thinking about how perfect it had been when Morgan had told the baby genius' girl that she would be taking care of her cat. This would be the perfect opportunity to know how the librarian truly lived, and if she was worthy of Reid's hand. Garcia giggled at the thought. _I already have parts of their wedding planned! _The technical analyst looked around the room with a critical eye. Every inch of the room had a bookshelf. All of the bookshelves were loaded with books. There was a soft-looking chair beside one of the bookshelves, and a lamp beside it. Garcia tried to count the books, but stopped when she reached seventy. _I think you have met your match, baby genius. _Garcia wasn't even certain if Reid had this many books. The majority of the books were historical fiction, but there were varieties of classics and medical textbooks. Garcia read the titles.

_"And the Mountains Echoed_, _The Kite Runner_, _No Safe Place_, _If I Should Die Before I Wake_, _World Without End_, _Summer of My German Soldier_…" The list went on and on. Garcia looked away and noticed there was nothing electronic located in the room. There wasn't a television, an i-Pod, or even a laptop. _Well, she certainly is a technophobe like someone we know. _Garcia remembered that Maeve hadn't been connected to technology that much either. When Reid had gone through her stuff, he had found there wasn't a hint of technology located in that apartment. _He smiled for the first time that day, _Garcia remembered. She remembered vividly of how her baby genius seemed like a ghost of his former self when no one was looking. _I promise you, Reid, you will never experience that kind of heartbreak again! We'll protect her this time. _Garcia had regretted not knowing Maeve, and she was determined to Ivy…at least a little.

Garcia looked around in the bathroom to find the cat. Morgan had told her that the cat's name was Akira, and she had originally belonged to Oliver. _"I guess the girl couldn't leave a part of her boyfriend behind," _Morgan had stated sadly when they had last talked. It had been three days since Reid and Ivy were relocated to the safe house, and the team was no closer to finding the UnSub. It made Garcia frustrated. She had looked everywhere for something connected to that man, but there was nothing. The only thing they had was the fact that the twisted son of a bitch killed his victims the same way their significant others had died. Garcia continued to look around the house for the cat, but the feline was nowhere to be found. There was a closed door at the end of the hallway, and Garcia opened it.

The room belonged to Ivy. Garcia knew this as soon as she opened the door. A pale cream and orange bedspread covered the bed. And in the center was the most beautiful cat Garcia had ever seen. The cat was medium sized and had a white underbelly and paws. Splotches of dark fur covered the cat's backside and tail. The splotches had tan stripes outlining them. The cat didn't wake up when Garcia slowly poured the cat's food into the dish. She noticed that there was another bookshelf – smaller than the others – that held fifteen books in all. One title caught the blonde women's eye. _Under the Red Sun_. The cover was simply a red sun shining like the sunrises Garcia loved so much, and she turned the book over to the back.

_"'I never thought I would feel beautiful again. I never thought I would feel clean again. Most of all, I never thought I would feel loved again.'" _Garcia read the book's summary, and was surprised to find tears in her eyes when she read the last word. "A very deep and sad story," she whispered. Garcia glanced again at the last novel Oliver Snow had written, and stared at the multiple pictures of Oliver and Ivy, embracing, smiling, and laughing, located in the bookshelf. Garcia was about to place the book back when her cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, baby girl." Morgan's voice always made Garcia cheer up; this time was no different.

"Hello, my dear chocolate thunder," she said sweetly. Then Garcia noticed how Morgan kept making deep breathes and sounded like he was pacing. His voice sounded tight and wavered with anger…and helplessness.

"Derek?" Garcia couldn't help but fight back tears. Something was wrong. In her mind, she imagined Reid. _Not again. Please, not again._ She thought of Ivy. _Oh God, no. No, please._

"The bastard got to them before we figured him out." Garcia could easily imagine Morgan gritting his teeth. "Hotch and I are here right now. The place is trashed, and there's blood on the floor." He paused. "Garcia, we failed him _again_." He made a sound like a strangled cry. "Now they're gone, and we don't know where they are."

* * *

I'm sorry this chapter is so short. Next time the chapter will be longer and will detail about Reid's and Ivy's kidnapping and the mysterious UnSub.


	12. Chapter Twelve

_Chapter Twelve_

Reid couldn't explain how he had felt when he had woken up with Ivy sleeping beside him. Her head was on his chest, and she was breathing softly. At first his normally sharp mind could only dully observe the beautiful woman sleeping. The brown haired man watched fondly as he watched Ivy's eyelashes flutter each time she took a breath. _They're long as mine, _Reid noticed. His mood became pensive as he watched over the woman in his arms. _She had the same dream as I did. _He vividly remembered how his tears had leaked into Ivy's shirt as he was held by her. _"He wanted me to mourn him forever and forget you." _Reid hadn't expected Ivy to have the same dream as he did. It seemed too much of a coincidence.

A memory resurfaced in his mind. Gideon's solemn face echoed in his mind. _"Spencer, do you know what people say about coincidences?" _Reid remembered how his mentor had smiled, almost amused when the younger man had answered. _"They usually take a lot of planning." _The young genius wondered if he should tell Ivy about Gideon. It had been eight years since the former profiler had left, and no one mentioned him. Reid didn't even mention Gideon to Maeve, and he had shared everything with her. Reid remembered how Gideon had arranged JJ and him to go on a date; he wondered how his mentor would have felt about Ivy. _He certainly wouldn't be planning our wedding like Garcia, or betting money on how long I'm going to stay a virgin like Morgan. _The young genius carefully placed Ivy's head on a pillow, and exited to bedroom. While in shower, Reid continued to think about what had happened the night before and of Gideon. He and Ivy had comforted each other in their darkest moments. _"It's okay to cry, Spencer." _They had held each other until they fell asleep in each other's arms…and when Reid woke up, he had never been more peaceful. _I'm certain Gideon would approve. _Reid got dressed and began to make breakfast. _He would be…more like a father-in-law._

The sizzling of sliced garlic and red and green peppers wafted in the air as Reid prepared an omlete for two. He put down a slice of lightly buttered toast and continued to think of the Australian who had captured his heart. _She truly is a beauty, but I didn't fall in love with her because of her face. I fell in love with her mind and her heart. _Reid was slicing an apple into pieces when Ivy came into the kitchen wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt and dark blue pants. He smiled at her, and she shyly smiled back. As Reid was pouring her coffee, he said, "Thank you." Ivy's dark blue eyes met his stare. "For…how you helped me." Reid walked back to the counter to pour his own cup of coffee, Ivy spoke.

"You also helped me. And..." she struggled to speak for a moment, and Reid noticed how she looked down at her cooked food in disinterest. "I just wanted to say…that I meant what I said." She looked at him with her dark blue eyes, mesmerizing him. "I love you, Spencer."

"_I don't love you. Sorry." _The memory resurfaced in his mind before he could stop it. Reid could still see the despair in Maeve's eyes when he had said those untrue words. The hurt and pain of not telling her the truth echoed in his mind still. And yet he had said the opposite to a woman he had only known for four days. And she had said the same to him. For a moment after that, Reid didn't say anything. He looked at the coffee cup in his hand. Suddenly he smiled. Tears pricked his eyes, but this time the tears were not of sadness or remorse, but of joy.

Reid gently took Ivy by the hand and looked lovingly in her eyes. "I love you, Ivy."

He kissed her.

The kiss was soft and quick, but the sweetness of Ivy's lips remained in his mind moments after he gazed into her eyes. He felt her slim hands stroke his curly hair, and they kissed again, slightly deeper this time. He felt Ivy's hands dry his tears, and slightly shivered from her silky touch. Ivy's dark blue eyes – the ones he loved – gleamed lovingly as they kissed again passionately. Somehow they only stopped kissing for a breath or two. Clothes were shrugged off and body parts gently caressed. Eventually both of them made it to the bed, and experienced love at another level that they hadn't known before.

When it was over, Ivy nuzzled her head against Reid's chest. A worn blue t-shirt covered his chest, and she traced the skin she had momentarily seen previously with care. "I never thought it would be…so amazing."

"Neither did I," Reid said. He ran his pianist-like fingers through her strawberry blonde hair. He kissed it. His hazel eyes closed for a moment. "Even though I lost Maeve, I'm glad I met you. I wouldn't trade anything in the world if it meant I wouldn't meet you." His slim hands cupped Ivy's chin. "I am happy that I was the given the experience to love you."

Ivy smiled, and kissed him on the mouth lovingly. _"'__When I broke her maidenhead, she wept, but afterward she kissed me and sang her little song, and by morning I was in love.'"_Her eyes filmed over for a moment. "Do you remember the words, Spencer?"

"Of course." Reid felt her hands stroke his cheek. _"'Darling don't be afraid. I have loved you for a thousand years. I'll love you for a thousand more. I will not let anything take what's standing in front of me.'" _He felt the same as he had when he had woken up this morning…at peace. For the next few days, Reid and Ivy did nothing but talk. They managed to open up, something none of them had done lightly before. Reid told Ivy of his brief happy childhood with his mother and father, and Ivy told him of her brief happy childhood as well. _"My childhood ended when my parents died." _Reid told her about the cases he had worked with the BAU. He even told her about Tobias Hankle and his addiction. She in turn told him about the emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her foster parents, and of her life in medical school. They talked about Oliver and Maeve. They continued to fall deeper in love as they talked, and neither of them left each other's side until the third day.

Reid wasn't yet aware of the door to the safe house being opened until it was too late. Ivy was cheerfully making lunch; celery with cream cheese. The young genius was reading quietly when he noticed the door slightly open, and stood. That was his mistake. As he was about to close the door, he felt something heavy collide with his head. The force of the object knocked him hard on the ground, and he didn't feel the thick blood coating his hair and seeping onto the ground. His eyesight was blurry, and he could only see the faint outline of the person standing above him. _That won't happen again. I will die a thousand deaths before that happens again__. _

His last conscious thought was of her._ Ivy…_


	13. Chapter Thirteen

_Chapter Thirteen_

Morgan threw up his hands in frustration. "There's nothing here, Hotch." He turned to look at the crouching BAU leader. "They're gone. All we've got are glass fragments and blood."

Hotch didn't respond as he continued looking underneath the barren table. There were glass fragments across the room; some were tinted with blood. Although Hotch was a veteran FBI agent, he didn't want to think about whose blood it belonged to. There was a larger fragment of glass near Morgan's foot. A puddle of blood was across from it. _The lab's still processing the blood, _the leader thought as he stood. A forbidden feeling arose within him despite the thoughts he kept telling himself. Somehow he felt that Reid wouldn't make it this time. The leader recalled overlooking the files of the case; the UnSub killed his victims quickly, and the bodies were found less than twenty four hours after they died. Hotch looked back at Morgan and could tell that the younger man was fighting the same feelings he himself had. Anger was in his eyes, coupled with confusion and soon, despair.

"How could they not know he was there?" Morgan asked between gritted teeth. His hands were curled up into fists. "There's no sign of forced entry, and the UnSub must have picked the lock."

"You know how Reid is," Hotch said with a brief knowing look at Morgan. "He becomes too involved in the book he's reading. By the time he noticed something was wrong…the UnSub had already caught him." Hotch was silent as Morgan crouched down and looked silently at the puddle of blood on the floor.

"How many liters of blood do you have to lose before you die?" Before the older man could answer, Morgan shook his head angrily. "I can't _believe _I just said that. This is Reid we're talking about."

"Morgan," Hotch said firmly, "Reid is human just as the rest of us are." The BAU leader swallowed to get rid of the tightness in his throat. "He may not make it this time."

The brown man turned toward his leader with disbelief in his eyes. "You're giving up on him already?" Rage was creeping in his voice.

"I'm being realistic," Hotch said calmly. He successfully pushed out the dead body of Reid in his distressed mind. "Why do think Ivy left without a struggle?"

Morgan shrugged. "The bastard probably threatened to kill Reid if she didn't follow him." He didn't say anything for a moment. Then, "You know Hotch, I don't think any of them will be able to survive this time if anything happens to the other." Morgan visible swallowed thickly, emotion in his voice. "I mean, Reid lost Maeve, and Ivy lost Oliver. If either of them dies...I don't know what they will do." Morgan suddenly laughed hollowly. The laughter echoed in Hotch's ears, echoing still as Morgan began to speak again. "What would you do if you lost Beth?" Morgan spoke quietly then. "Those two are the strongest people I know, but they might just break if…"

Hotch put a comforting arm around his younger colleague. "We'll be there for them whatever happens," he stated. He unclasped his hand from Morgan's shoulder, and began to dial a number. _What if he doesn't pick up? It's been so long. _Fortunately, the person did.

"Jason, it's Aaron. We need your assistance."

* * *

Ivy opened her eyes to find herself blindfolded. She tried to figure out where she was, but could only hear the eerie _drip drip _of water colliding with the ground. Or was Spencer still bleeding? She had found him on the floor unconscious bleeding from a head wound. She had tried to approach him, but a piece of jagged glass was pointed at her neck. Ivy remembered seeing the blood coated on the glass.

"If you move, I'll kill him." The voice was deep, much like Morgan's voice, but was raspy and hoarse as well. Ivy felt adrenaline pumping through her veins as she turned her head around to look at the speaker who held a jagged piece of glass at her neck. The man was of medium height, and had dark brown hair that was almost black. He had pale skin and a smooth face. Two green eyes, smoldering with nothing, stared back at her own dark blue. The serial killer – the UnSub, Ivy corrected herself – stepped away from her when Ivy said that she wouldn't move or do anything. Just as she was about to dial her cell phone that was in her pocket, the UnSub punched her in the face. All faded to black.

The punch still hurt when she tenderly caressed it. The swelling stage had already occurred, and Ivy tried vainly to tear the blindfold with her hands, but the cloth was too thick. Suddenly a door creaked and closed. Light footsteps echoed in Ivy's ears, and she forced her hands to go to her sides. Her heart was pounding in her ears. Somehow her body wouldn't move.

"Hello, Ivy Sawyer." He was close to her. Ivy could feel his breath near her face. "I'm sorry I had to take such drastic measures to kidnap you." Ivy felt small hands reach for her head, and she flinched from his touch. Suddenly the blindfold was gone, and Ivy was staring at the UnSub's green eyes. Looking closer at him, Ivy noticed several self-inflicted wounds on his hands. Before she could continue to observe, however, the UnSub moved, and Ivy's heartbeat quickened when she saw the amount of blood streaking in Spencer's hair. She started to cry.

"He'll be waking up very soon." Somehow the UnSub tried to soothe her. He didn't touch her, but instead wiped her tear-stained face with a tissue. "Better?" he asked. Feeling like a child, Ivy nodded. The UnSub stood and starting watching Spencer. He seemed to be thinking.

"What is your name?" Ivy asked. She fought to keep her voice calm and collected.

"My name is Jeremy." He didn't look at her when he spoke. "Jeremy Downs."

There was a quiet moan from the chair across from Ivy. Both the kidnapper and the kidnapped watched as Spencer opened his hazy hazel eyes.

* * *

Reid awoke to find himself in a chair. His eyesight was blurry, and he felt nauseous as he moved his eyes around the room. Pain radiated from his head, and he tenderly touched the back of his head. The young genius flinched from the sharp pain that shot from his cranium, and his hand was slick with red. Reid blinked to clear his vision, and he saw a familiar shape.

"Ivy…" he breathed. Foolishly, he tried to sit up but groaned when another episode of nausea caused him to clasp his head in his hands.

"Don't move, Spencer. You probably have a mild concussion." It wasn't Ivy that spoke. Reid turned his head despite the pain to see that it was a man that spoke. _The UnSub._

"Why are you..." Reid tried to speak despite the thickness of his tongue. "Why are you doing this?" His hazy hazel eyes met the UnSub's green ones. "What…are you going to do with us?"

The UnSub moved towards Reid, and Reid instinctively moved away. Ivy's frightened eyes met his. The UnSub didn't try to hurt him though.

"There was…a girl, you see. She had a butterfly barrette in her hair." He spoke slowly and quietly. "She was the only one…who was kind to me. Everyone else shunned me and ignored me. It was as if I didn't exist." The UnSub took a deep breath and looked at Reid. His green eyes brimmed with pain. "I was abandoned in a church as a newborn infant. I never knew my parents, or my real name. This name I have now was given to me. I wasn't loved by my foster parents. I grew up empty and alone." His hands started to shake. "Then she came," the UnSub rasped. "She was the only thing that was bright in my life. She was everything to me. She was my world." Reid remembered saying the same words a year ago. He remembered sobbing them to Maeve's grave early in the morning. _"You were my world." _Reid saw that Ivy was looking at the UnSub with a similar understanding in her eyes. "We were supposed to meet at a café for our first date." The UnSub's hands shook even more, and Reid saw him biting his lip. "I was supposed to take care of her," he moaned. Suddenly the man started to sob. The sobs came from a broken heart, Reid knew, and the UnSub started to rock his body back and forth.

"Fifteen years makes no difference. Fifteen years of living without _her_…"

"Is like a wound that never heals." Reid finished. The UnSub didn't appear to hear him

"I told her that we should meet at her place instead. I…always wanted to know what it was like to live in a clean house and one with love. She agreed." Thick tears pelted on the floor. "But we didn't know that someone else was there too. Her ex-boyfriend was angry that she chose me over him, and he…" The UnSub's body racked with sobs.

"What did he do, Jeremy?" Reid stared at the UnSub in surprise. _He must have told Ivy his name before I was conscious. _

"He stabbed her thirty-three times." The swollen green eyes met Reid's own. "Do know how long and bloody that is?" The UnSub shook his head violently. "I _watched _her die. I couldn't do anything. People kept telling me that I wasn't my fault; I was only fifteen. That was before I started showing signs."

"Signs of what?" The UnSub didn't answer. He only continued to look blankly at the floor. Reid tried again. "Jeremy, what did you show signs of?"

"I…couldn't feel anything after that. Just…anger. I liked the thought of killing. I was put away in an institution for three long years, but it didn't do anything. Ever since she died…I only felt alive when I killed those people." Swiftly the man pulled out a gun. Reid went stiff when he saw the gun being pointed at him. One of his fingers was on the trigger. "I'm sorry."

"Jeremy Downs, FBI!" The team had been there since Jeremy had begun telling his story. Reid had signaled them to wait, and they did. Now it was time to arrest the man before he could do anymore harm. Ivy was softly smiling at him with admiration in her eyes; she had seen him give the signal to his team. "Put down the weapon!" Then suddenly Reid thought he felt someone staring at him. He looked at the faces he had known for nine years, and almost gasped and cried with shock when he found a long-lost familiar face.

"Gideon…" he whispered. There was no point in keeping out the emotion in his whisper. His former mentor nodded to him, but Reid thought he saw him faintly smile. Jason Gideon was thinner than he used to be, and now completely bald. But Reid saw the fire in his eyes that he had wanted see for so long. He felt tears prick his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Jeremy Downs didn't reacted when the seven sets of fingers hovered over the trigger. He didn't blink as the bullets collided with his body. He didn't laugh or smile when he died. He only pulled the trigger himself.

The bullet was meant for Ivy. The Australian couldn't even react when she saw the bullet reaching her eyes. Reid continued to run despite feeling disoriented as he moved. He didn't feel afraid. He didn't think of what could happen. He only shielded the second woman he loved with his body as the bullet embedded in his head. _That won't happen again. I will die a thousand deaths before that happens again. _

* * *

Time seem to still when Dr. Spencer Reid fell onto the floor. Blood continued to pool around Reid's thin body. He tried to move his hand, only to find that he couldn't feel anything anymore. The dying young genius was vaguely aware of Ivy reaching for him. He didn't feel her arms around his as she cradled him in her arms as he bled out. The blood blossomed like a flower in her shirt. Reid wanted to tell her to stop crying. The darkness continued to envelop him, making all sounds deaf. He wasn't aware of anything besides Ivy, sobbing and blubbering.

"_Don't leave me! Don't you leave me! Spencer…please! Please don't leave me!"_

Blood trickled down his mouth. His tongue felt thick. The strength he had before was wasting away. He had to say it though. _He had to. _"I…." Reid felt the darkness closing on him again. It was hard to breathe. "I love…" He would rest soon, wouldn't he? _I did what I could not do before. _He fought to say his last words. "...I love…you…"

Thus Dr. Spencer Reid closed his eyes and died.

_"SPENCER!"_


	14. Chapter Fourteen

_Chapter Fourteen_

Time stopped. Ivy Sawyer could only scream his name when his beautiful hazel eyes closed and when his body went limp in her arms. She didn't think about how the blood soaked her shirt or of how tears streaked down her face like a ceaseless waterfall. Ivy was only aware of holding the second man she loved in her arms. She remembered another time like this, more than two years ago now. Oliver had been bleeding, his life seeping out of him as the blood flowed from the many lacerations that came from his skin. Ivy remembered how warm his skin had still felt despite him dying before her eyes. The mouth that had kissed so many times opened, but instead of a sound, a death rattle filled the air. Ivy remembered this as she held Spencer's body. The warmth was already fading from him, and through her tears, Ivy saw his lovely face, pale as snow, and yet calm and serene, as if he was only asleep.

_"I…I…love…you…" _Those were his final words. Ivy remained immobile as she remembered Spencer's final moments. She knew that Spencer had done what Oliver could not in his final moments: he told her that he loved her. Despite the two years gone by, Ivy remained convinced that Oliver had tried to tell her that he loved her before passing on. What else would he have said? She suddenly remembered trying to revive Oliver in vain, and blaming herself for so long for not saving him. Ivy's hands slackened slightly as she entered a mode she never thought she would enter again.

Her fingers still trembled as she took off her shirt. Ivy didn't notice gooseflesh appearing on her arms from the cold, her abdominal area bare except for a bra. She gently set Spencer down on the floor, and her heartbeat raced she saw blood continuously pooling from the gruesome head wound. Ivy kept the nausea at bay by biting her lip. Steeling herself, she pressed the shirt she had worn directly over Spencer's head wound. _Press firmly to stop the bleeding. _Suddenly Ivy felt another much larger hand on her own, but she didn't stop the first aid. Her swollen blue eyes connected with a man's she hadn't known before.

"I'll keep putting pressure," he stated. The man was as old as Ivy's father would have been if he hadn't died. The strong brown eyes focused on the chestnut-haired man before him were so intense. "You need to start CRP now. He isn't breathing."

Ivy noticed that the man's speech halted for a moment before he had said CPR. Looking at him now, Ivy noticed how hard it was for him to remain calm.

"You're Jason Gideon, aren't you?"

The man didn't respond. It was at time that Ivy heard JJ dispatching for an ambulance, and she heard Morgan yelling at the prone body at the floor. "Don't you dare die on us, Reid! You can't die yet! You…can't leave us all alone!"

_I won't fail, _Ivy vowed as she began compressions. _I will do what I could not do last time. One…two…three…four…five…six…seven…eight…nine…ten…_

* * *

_"BP is dropping!"_

_"I need more oxygen now!"_

_ "Penetrating head trauma trauma to the head, BP 80/50, pulse 90, respirations of 9!"_

_ "Damn it, fight!"_

_ "We need surgery for this guy now!"_

_ "He's coding!"_

* * *

_Reid opened his eyes. All he could see was a bright golden light. For some reason the exploding pain in his head was gone. He felt…free. The pain was gone. Reid looked around and didn't see anyone else at first. He only saw the light. Then she was there. Maeve was standing in front of him. Her wound, like his, was gone. The blood was gone from her clothes, and she smiled sweetly at him._

_ "Spencer…" Reid couldn't say word. He could only stare at her. Her beautiful dark hair was tied in a ponytail behind her back, and for some reason…she looked more beautiful than ever._

_ "But…" He stuttered. How could she be here with him? "You're dead." Maeve simply nodded, and Reid glanced back. He could still only see the bright golden light. "Am I…am I dead?" The question echoed in the space, and Reid swallowed. He remembered seeing this light before._

_ "No," Maeve sounded grateful. Tears were in her eyes. "They're still trying to revive you." She sighed. "I wish you would wake up."_

_ Reid's chest tightened. His mind remembered Maeve's death. Of her falling. Of her dying. Of him not being able to save her. "Maeve…I wanted to say…"_

_ "I know," she whispered. She smiled at him again. "I know you wanted to tell me that you loved me. I already knew."_

_ "You knew?" Reid gasped._

_ Maeve nodded. "I knew from the moment you looked at me. Your eyes…your beautiful eyes conveyed what your mouth could not. The Japanese believe in not saying the words I love you because the actions themselves signify their love. Your actions told me that he loved me from the bottom of your heart a thousand times over without saying those words." At last Maeve embraced Reid tenderly. It felt so good to have her arms around him. "You have to go back."_

_ "Spencer." It was the voice that had invaded his dreams for almost the past decade. Looking past Maeve, Reid saw the serene face of Tobias Hankle._

_ "Tobias…" Tobias looked happy now, no longer troubled by the demons haunting him. His eyes were clear, and he smiled when he looked at Reid. _

_ "Thank you," he whispered. "You saved a lot of lives by killing me…and you freed me too." The man had tears in his eyes. "Thank you so much."_

_ "You saved me that time," Reid whispered. He remembered how Raphael had killed him, and of how Tobias had saved him from death. He untangled himself from Maeve's warm arms. "I never thanked you for saving me," he choked._

_ "There's no need," Tobias said. "And now it's time to save yourself."_

_ Reid's mouth went dry. He looked back again at the light. Should he go back? This place was so warm and comforting. Perhaps…he could have a chance to know Maeve better than he had time to before…and maybe there was a chance he could understand Tobias Hankle._

_ "What…if I want to stay with you?" he asked. Maeve's eyes widened in surprise and she opened her mouth to speak when Tobias spoke._

_ "It's up to you, Spencer."_

_ Reid thought. His team would be devastated if he didn't come back. And Ivy… _

_ "I can't go with you," he whispered to both of them. "I'm sorry." _

_Maeve, the woman who had first captured his heart, nodded, smiling. "You need to live," she whispered to him. Then with Tobias, she disappeared into the light. _

"_Goodbye," Reid said. He closed his eyes and willed himself to wake up._

* * *

The team of seven were staring blankly at the hallway of the hospital. When Morgan had seen Spencer Reid's body turn limp in Ivy's arms, he had felt nothing but numbness. _So this is what shock does to you, _he thought. The large man hadn't felt angry at all during the four hours they had been in the waiting room. He still was processing the fact that his best friend and little brother had _died _in front of him. _"You know Hotch, I don't think any of them will be able to survive this time if anything happens to the other. I mean, Reid lost Maeve, and Ivy lost Oliver. If either of them dies...I don't know what they will do."_ Morgan swallowed thickly, trying to keep the tears at bay. _You can't die, Reid. You just…can't._

Rossi was the one with the most control over his emotions. His face conveyed no sadness over what had occurred, but if you looked closely at his body language, you could see that he was trying to keep the emotions buried deep inside. _Losing Erin was bad enough. I was in bed for weeks. But this…kid, you'd better make it. Otherwise, I'm not certain if I can. _

JJ and Garcia had tears continuously marring their mascara. They weren't aware of their swollen and blotchy faces or of the sobs shamelessly coming from their mouths. Both JJ and Garcia were inconsolable; they couldn't imagine living without Spencer Reid in their lives. He was the bright part of their lives. He could always make them smile or laugh without meaning to, and he was very close to both women. If their Spencer Reid died, what could JJ tell Henry? How could Garcia come to work every day and not see her baby genius?

Hotch and Blake had their heads in their hands. Both older agents were thinking about Reid and their memories of him. Both were thinking about the first day they met the lovable awkward genius. They could not imagine losing Reid. Although Blake hadn't been on the team for long, she shared a special bond with Reid. He was the only one who told her about Maeve. Hotch wondered how he could live day to day without thinking about some statistic Reid had said one time or another. He always seemed to know everything, and the boy he knew became such a brave and compassionate man. Hotch was proud of him, and he couldn't imagine losing him.

Gideon was sitting far away from the rest. He couldn't be with them. The former profiler's eyes were blank and glassy. His thoughts for the past four hours revolved around Reid. When he had first got the call that Reid and a woman named Ivy Sawyer had been kidnapped, Gideon felt as if a disaster had struck. Although his former team members wouldn't know it, he had thought of Reid as much as Reid had thought of him in the past eight years. He couldn't breathe for a moment, and it seemed as if his focus had narrowed down to four seconds. When he had seen Reid die, he had been the first to react only because of adrenaline. Gideon still remembered what his first thought had been when he had seen Reid bleed out. _Son. _A brief smile echoed on his face. "My son," he whispered.

Ivy Sawyer was the only one standing. When asked by Hotch if she wanted to change, she said a firm no. Although the blood was dry now, she still remembered feeling the blood soak her hands as she performed CPR on Spencer. The physician in her mind tried to cite statistics in her mind of what percentage of people survived gunshots. Ivy tried to think of memories, but her mind kept going back to Spencer's still face and how much _blood _had come from him. The Australian tried to not think at all.

"Dr. Spencer Reid?" All the team members stood as a young surgeon wearing dark blue scrubs appeared. She had dark short hair and wore glasses. The nine people there tried not to stare at the bloodstains splattered across the scrubs. "I have stay, Dr. Reid is a very strong person. We lost him once or twice, but he prevailed in the end." The meaning of the words sunk in moments later.

"You're…saying he's alive?" Morgan spoke. He didn't care about the tears struggling to come free from his eyes. He didn't care about being strong. "He survived?"

"Yes," the surgeon said. She made no comment when Morgan started to cry in relief in front of her. "The bullet did not enter Dr. Reid's brain; it was embedded in his cranium." Garcia gave a gasp, and JJ looked at the surgeon wordlessly with huge eyes. "We managed to remove it with some success."

"Some success?" Rossi asked. He turned toward the surgeon. "What do you mean by that?"

"We lost him twice but he came back." The surgeon continued carefully. "Because of the bullet in his skull, there was some swelling in brain. We're going to put him in a medically induced coma until the swelling goes down. Then we can try to put the skull back in again?"

"Excuse me, but what is a medically induced coma?" Garcia asked timidly.

"A medically induced coma is a temporary coma brought upon by a barbiturate drug that is normally used when a person has extensive neurosurgery, but in Dr. Reid's case, the barbiturate drug will slow down the swelling in his brain." The surgeon could see another question coming, so she kindly said, "I don't know when he'll wake up, but from what I know about him in the operating room, your friend is strong."

"Can we see him?" Ivy asked.

The surgeon nodded. "My name is Dr. Eris. If you need anything, just ask a nurse to page me. Your friend is in the ICU right now, so no more than two people at a time. He's in room 116." With that, the surgeon left.

"You need to change your clothes," Hotch said. This time Ivy nodded.

Spencer looked even smaller in the hospital bed. His face was as white as the sheets, and various machines beeped around him. Ivy held one of his hands in her own. The IV slightly caused her touch to be compromised, but Ivy didn't notice. She continued to look at Spencer's face. Even now, like before, he looked like he was sleeping. Only the monitor and slight rise of his chest reassured Ivy that he was not dead. She looked at his face again, and realized that not for the first time that she loved him. Tears started appearing in her eyes, and Ivy didn't wipe them away. She wasn't ashamed. _"Tears are good, Ivy. They clean you." _Oliver had told her that once. _I failed to save you, my first love, but I was able to save him. _

"I will wait forever for you to wake up, Spencer. I promise you. I won't give up…because I believe you. Because…I love you. I love you. I will never leave you."


	15. Epilogue

_ Epilogue _

_ February 9, 2015_

Dr. Spencer Reid walked slowly to the woman sleeping in the hospital bed. Her strawberry hair was long name, framing her face. The blue eyes that he loved were closed in exhaustion. Slowly the thirty-three year old man kissed his wife on the nose.

Ivy Reid blearily opened her eyes. "Hello," she said tiredly.

"Hey," he whispered. Reid kissed his wife on the crown of her head. "The others are waiting for you."

"It's not me their waiting for," Ivy stated with tired amused smile on her face. "It's them." Together the couple stared in wonder at the two youngest humans in the room. Inside one bassinet were two tiny babies. One had a blue cap on; another had pink. Underneath their caps was a shock of dark brown hair. Reid continued to smile adoringly as he remembered holding both of them for the first time. They fit perfectly in his arms. Although only a day old, Reid was unconditionally in love with his newborn daughter and son.

"I'm certain Garcia is already threatening to kidnap one of them when they come home," Ivy said as she stared lovingly at her husband and two children.

Reid laughed. "I'm certain she has. Henry's excited to meet his new cousins, and Gideon is rereading the book on childcare again."

"How do JJ and Gideon feel about meeting their namesakes?" Ivy asked as Reid sat down at the corner of the bed. Both fell silent at the unanswered question, remembering when both of them had decided to name their twins after JJ and Gideon; they were the people who had influenced Reid most in life, and the ones he admired most. Both of them smiled as the continued to stare at their tiny children, Jason and Jenna Reid. Ivy's hand reached Reid's own, and both of their wedding rings softly came in contact with each other.

It had been a hard but happy year for both of them. Reid had woken up a week after his skull was placed back in place after surgery, and the road to recovery wasn't an easy one. Reid wasn't allowed to go back to work for six months after his month-long stay in the hospital, something he was _not _happy about, and there were instances that he was bedridden from the survivor's guilt to pain to headaches. Ivy helped him through every step of the way, and their love for another grew deeper for each other. Eventually they married, and now the two were parents for the first time.

"I wouldn't change anything in my life," Reid said to Ivy. "Even if it meant that Maeve wouldn't have died. Thank you for making me love you." He squeezed her hand.

"I wouldn't change anything either, Spencer." He felt Ivy's loving his echo in his own. "I wouldn't change anything because I love you. I've loved you for a thousand years, and I'll love you for a thousand more."

Spencer Reid and Ivy Reid fell silent, simply contemplating the happiness that they had for each other.


End file.
